An enjoyable game, and for many an opportunity for social outings, golf is also a way to pick up some beneficial exercise.
Whether walking the course, hitting the range or taking a cart, playing golf is a leisurely way to burn some extra calories. This is true even in the case of a nine-hole outing, depending in part on a player's weight, walking vs. taking a cart and metabolism.
Walking vs. Cart
It comes as little surprise that golfers will burn more calories during a round on the links should they choose to walk nine holes over using a cart. According to Shapefit, an online health and nutrition advice site, a 190-pound golfer will burn approximately 130 more calories per hour (431 to 302) pulling his clubs on a wheeling device than by taking a cart. Should a player elect to carry his clubs, that jumps to 474 calories per hour. Considering an average nine-hole outing takes between two and three hours, golfers may burn upwards of 300 more calories total by carrying or pulling their clubs.
Taking a Cart
According to Shapefit, a 130-pound golfer will burn approximately 207 calories per hour while taking a cart, compared to 246 for a 155-pound golfer and 302 calories per hour for a 190-pound golfer. That means that over a nine-hole round, which is likely to take around two hours with a cart, golfers burn between 400 and 700 calories per outing.
Pulling Clubs
According to Shapefit, a 130-pound golfer will burn approximately 295 calories per hour while pulling her clubs on a wheel-accessible device, compared to 352 for a 155-pound golfer and 431 calories per hour for a 190-pound golfer. That means that over a nine-hole round, which while pulling clubs is likely to take around 2 1/2 hours, golfers burn between 700 and 1,100 calories per outing.
Carrying Clubs
According to Shapefit, a 130-pound golfer will burn approximately 325 calories per hour while carrying her clubs, compared to 387 for a 155-pound golfer and 474 calories per hour for a 190-pound golfer. That means that over a nine-hole round, which while carrying clubs is likely to take around 2 1/2 hours, golfers burn between 800 and 1,200 calories per outing.
Driving Range
Before hitting the links, some golfers will first take to the driving range. Fortunately, this serves as another way to burn calories. According to Shapefit, a 130-pound golfer will burn approximately 177 calories per hour on the range, compared to 211 for a 155-pound golfer and 259 calories per hour for a 190-pound golfer.